STAND. COM. REP. NO.  64

 

Honolulu, Hawaii

                , 2023

 

RE:   H.B. No. 445

      H.D. 1

 

 

 

 

Honorable Scott K. Saiki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Thirty-Second State Legislature

Regular Session of 2023

State of Hawaii

 

Sir:

 

     Your Committee on Human Services, to which was referred H.B. No. 445 entitled:

 

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO CHILD SUPPORT,"

 

begs leave to report as follows:

 

     The purpose of this measure is to require the Department of the Attorney General and Department of Human Services to convene a joint study group to examine the impacts, costs, and impediments of allowing child support payments to pass through to recipients of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program funds.  

 

     Your Committee received testimony in support of this measure from the Department of Human Services and Department of the Attorney General.  Your Committee received comments on this measure from the Zonta Club of Hilo and Hawaii Children's Action Network Speaks!.

 

Your Committee finds that the Child Support Enforcement Agency collects child support payments from absent or non-custodial parents of children receiving financial assistance from the Department of Human Services in the form of Temporary Assistance for Needy Families or Temporary Assistance for Other Needy Families benefits.  The Child Support Enforcement Agency then reimburses the Department of Human Services and the federal government for financial assistance benefits paid to these custodial parents, rather than allowing these child support payments to go directly to the family.  Your Committee notes that the Child Support Enforcement Agency would need additional time to implement a pass through of payment as it would require a reprogramming of the financial component of their case management system, and approval from the federal Office of Child Support Enforcement.

 

     Your Committee has amended this measure by:

 

     (1)  Requiring the joint report to be submitted to the Legislature before the convening of the Regular Session of 2025, rather than the Regular Session of 2024;

 

     (2)  Changing the effective date to June 30, 3000, to encourage further discussion; and

 

     (3)  Making technical, nonsubstantive amendments for the purposes of clarity, consistency, and style.

 

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your Committee on Human Services that is attached to this report, your Committee is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 445, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 445, H.D. 1, and be referred to your Committee on Judiciary & Hawaiian Affairs.

 

 

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committee on Human Services,

 

 

 

 

____________________________

JOHN M. MIZUNO, Chair